Mid-America Science Museum

The mission of the Mid-America Science Museum is to stimulate interest in science, to promote public understanding of the sciences and to encourage life-long science education through interactive exhibits and programs. The Mid-America Science Museum was conceptualized under Governor Rockefeller as the first interactive, informal learning environment in Arkansas and opened to the public on January 20, 1979. The present 65,000 square foot building was constructed in Mid-America Park on 21 wooded acres and is divided into two wings, connected by a glass-enclosed bridge that spans an outside stream. In 2011, Mid-America was awarded a $7.8 million grant from the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation of Las Vegas, Nevada, to renovate the facility, and design and install new exhibits. Following several years of planning, gathering community input, working with program and business consultants, architects and exhibit designers, the museum closed in August 2014 to begin the renovation and re-opened in March 2015. New galleries include Arkansas Underfoot where visitors can investigate the biology, geology and topography that is unique to Arkansas; The Workshop Gallery, which is comprised of four workshops based on science and technology concepts; and the Marvelous Motion Gallery where classic and new exhibits explore Newton’s three laws of motion. The new Oaklawn Foundation Digital Dome Theater is a 50-seat theater with a 180° screen where visitors can view educational videos on a wide variety of subjects, including astronomy, geology and meteorology. The exhibit that sets the Mid-America Science Museum apart from other science centers around the country is the new Bob Wheeler Science Skywalk. Spanning 280 feet behind the Museum into the forest canopy, 40 feet above the ground and over the stream, this “exhibit” invites visitors to get up close and personal with nature while enjoying an intriguing array of bridges, nets, a treehouse and interactive exhibits.